Easter Conference

Elias Aslaksen:

Hebrews 4:15: Jesus is like us in everything, except that He did not commit sin. Temptation is not sin. There was no point in which He was not tested; yet He did not commit sin.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” Jas. 1:12. We have the opportunity either to suffer defeat or to gain the victory; it depends on how we deal with the temptation. He was a man with the same nature as ours. If that was not the case, we could raise the objection that He was not tempted in all points as we are. If He had had a different nature than we do we could say with full assurance: Yes, it was an easy matter for Him to overcome, because He had a different nature than ours! However, now we have this perfect comfort that He was tempted in all points as we are. In the days of His flesh He offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears, etc. Heb. 5:7. He had a terrible battle. He spent the night in prayer to God. But He gained the victory! At the end He said on the cross: “It is finished!” How could we manage to walk in His steps if He had had a different flesh than ours? We would have to give up and pack our bags. They do not believe in an overcoming life in the free assemblies. That is not strange either, since their understanding is that He is something totally different compared to us. Do the Scriptures not say that we shall follow Him? How should we poor wretches manage to walk on a way on which Jesus, our forerunner, was like Adam before the Fall? However, now He has been tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. He is therefore obviously one flesh with those who suffer with Him. The great difference between Him and us is that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was the Seed of the woman that crushed the serpent’s head. The unspeakably great thing was that He was victorious even though He had a flesh and blood like we have. There would be nothing extraordinary about Him crushing the serpent’s head as God. It was as if Norbeck would advertise: “Magnificent performance! Norbeck can kill a mosquito with one blow!” People are like small children who understand little or nothing; therefore we have to use such very crude examples. Would it have been such a great thing if Jesus had overcome sin, Satan, and all the forces of darkness without our flesh? Not at all! He crushed the serpent’s head and inaugurated a new and living way for us as a root out of dry ground, as Someone who took upon Himself flesh and blood like us.

Not many people want to lead a life like this because it is a life of suffering. Just endure! We will be home in just a little while. He suffered while He was tempted. Endure! He has gone before us! Why did He partake of flesh and blood? Heb. 2:14. So that He through death could destroy Him who had the power of death. Jesus could not very well have died if He had been like Adam before the Fall. Is it not very wise to compare Jesus to Adam before the Fall? We have to say like Job to those who do not believe in Jesus manifested in flesh: “No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.” Job 12:2. Job says that would be the end of wisdom. Even Jesus used ironic words when He said, “Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” Matt. 15:6. It is so comforting that Jesus was tested in all points. If He had had a different flesh, He would have been a different Jesus than the One whom we have learned to know. Now they say that we belittle Jesus with our doctrine. However, that is not the real issue of the matter. It doesn’t really matter to them whether we make Jesus little or great. They are concerned with completely different matters than Jesus. This is the crux of the matter: If Jesus partook of flesh and blood like us and suffered death in the flesh, then we are also obligated to suffer with Him, which is the very thing they do not want. They lack the fear of God. They consider godliness as a means of gain besides lacking the knowledge of God. If you say something to them, they do not want to hear it, because people who are wise in their own eyes have nothing to learn. They know everything because they had their sins forgiven at some point in time. However, it is not those who are wise in their own eyes but those who are dissatisfied with themselves, who come to Christ and receive help to live an overcoming life.